MSNBC’s Chuck Todd said Friday that increased support for Donald Trump could be attributed in part to Hillary Clinton’s need to figure out how to be for something, not just against the Republican.
Host Stephanie Ruhle asked Todd about the poll numbers that came out this week, which put Trump either tied or ahead of Clinton in key swing states like Ohio and Florida.
"Over the last three weeks, why, you could say she’s had a terrible three weeks," Todd said. "Some of it not of her own making. Some of it of her own making."
"But you gotta do something more than being not Trump for the very reason you said," Todd added. "She needs to figure out how to be for something."
Ruhle then brought up how Trump’s campaign seems to drum up more enthusiasm than Clinton’s does.
"Enthusiasm is one thing Donald Trump has," she said. "He’s been saying for the last few days he’s now skyrocketing with African-American voters. By all measures, if you look at poll numbers, that’s not the case. So where is this coming from?"
Todd said he thinks this enthusiasm indicates a recovery for the Trump campaign, adding that the public can see Republicans that were otherwise sitting on the sidelines are now coming forward.
"I think he’s starting to get what you’re seeing and his recovery is showing there was a chunk of Republicans that had been sitting on the sidelines," he said. "A chunk of right-leaning Independents that have been in sort of what appeared to be a never Trump column and the question was always, ‘Would they vote for Clinton? Would they vote for Gary Johnson. Would they skip the presidential all together? Would they just not show up to the polls?’"
"What I have seen is his numbers just among Republicans are improving," Todd continued. "Just among right-leaning Independents are improving. That’s what's helping him right now."
He said that with the Clinton campaign, her major problem is that she has nowhere near the support President Obama had among African-Americans and Latinos.
"Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, is not matching Barack Obama when it comes to support among African-Americans, not matching Barack Obama when it comes to support among latinos. Couple that all together and you have this Trump lead," he said.